Find out how popular the last name Amayo is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Amayo.

Amayo, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Amayo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Amayo in America

Amayo is the 79846th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Amayo surname appeared 238 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Amayo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Amayo to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Amayo

The surname AMAYO is believed to have originated in Spain, specifically in the Basque region. It is thought to have derived from the Basque word "amayo," which means "uncle" or "maternal uncle." This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a nickname or a descriptive term for someone who had a close relationship with their maternal uncle or was considered an uncle-like figure within their community.

The earliest known records of the AMAYO surname date back to the 16th century, when it appeared in various documents and records from the Basque region. One notable early reference is found in the "Cartulario de San Millán de la Cogolla," a medieval cartulary (collection of charters and records) from the Monastery of San Millán de la Cogolla in La Rioja, Spain. This document, dating back to the 11th century, mentions a place name "Amayona," which may have contributed to the formation of the AMAYO surname.

In the 17th and 18th centuries, the AMAYO surname began to spread beyond the Basque region, with records showing individuals bearing this name in other parts of Spain, as well as in the Spanish colonies in the Americas. One notable figure from this period was Juan de Amayo (1590-1654), a Spanish military officer and governor of the Philippines from 1642 to 1644.

Another prominent individual with the AMAYO surname was Francisco de Amayo y Ledesma (1652-1720), a Spanish lawyer and magistrate who served as a judge in the Royal Audiencia of Lima, the highest court in the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. He was known for his work on legal reforms and his efforts to promote the rule of law in the colonies.

In the 19th century, the AMAYO surname continued to be found in various Spanish-speaking regions, including Mexico, where Juan Nepomuceno Amayo (1795-1862) was a prominent lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Mexican Congress and as a judge in the Supreme Court of Justice.

Another notable individual from this time period was José María Amayo y Alcalá (1819-1884), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of the Spanish colony of Fernando Po (now part of Equatorial Guinea) from 1857 to 1860.

While the AMAYO surname has its roots in Spain and the Basque region, it has since spread to other parts of the world, thanks to migration and the Spanish colonial empire. However, its origins can be traced back to the Basque word "amayo" and its association with familial relationships and the concept of an uncle-like figure.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Amayo

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Amayo.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Amayo was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Amayo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Amayo was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Amayo, please contact us.

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